Reds captain Will Genia praised his side for its back-to-the-wall defensive effort in keeping out the Highlanders in Queensland's nail-biting 19-13 win at Lang Park on Friday night.

Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper played his best game of 2012 as the Reds kept their Super Rugby title defence alive in the penultimate round despite almost giving up a 16-point second-half lead.

But they had to do it tough in the final exchanges with three minutes of gutsy defence on their own try-line on full-time.

The desperate Highlanders attacked the line over multiple phases but a string of try-saving tackles, including two by man-of-the-match Cooper, saved the day before Jake Schatz produced a ruck turnover.